Why Steve Bruce put the Premier League before European dream of Hull City

Hull City manager Steve Bruce gambled on team selection against Lokeren – and lost (Picture: Getty Images)

Hull City exiting the Europa League on away goals before experiencing the group stages is devastating. It’s not a competition that everyone appreciates but it meant the world to fans of a club that has never had such exposure in its 110-year history.

Unfortunately as much as the manager told us he wanted to do well in the competition – his approach was far more pragmatic and understandably so.

The Europa League is a more exciting and interesting than the Premier League which features teams that by and large we’ve played a hell of a lot in the last six or seven years. It offered a world, well continent, of possible away trips. Even the two home ‘European nights’ against relative minnows in Trencin of Slovakia and Belgian side Lokeren have been two of our most atmospheric games in years.

As fans, we’ve taken our eye off the ball a bit as games against Stoke and Aston Villa pale in comparison to European trips. No offence is meant to those sides because I’m sure when they were in Europe a trip to Hull didn’t excite them either. Not unless they were catching the ferry from our fine port to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge.

Steve Bruce hasn’t taken his eye off those games though. He’s prioritised them over Europe. Just like last season when he prioritised the league over the FA Cup but found that the alternative XI he was putting out was good enough to win cup games. In Europe, we’ve not been so lucky and ultimately paid for a weakened side under-performing in Lokeren last week and gifting them an advantage we couldn’t over-turn.

Hull City fans had a fantastic time in Belgium against Lokeren (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

I wish Bruce has thought differently because I see Europe as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I understand his predicament, though. He knows what is most important to the club and to his own career. That is staying in the Premier League. That’s a sad state of affairs because I dread becoming one of those clubs who want nothing more than to finish above 18th every season and cash their big cheque.

Sadly that is the way the game is these days. The Premier League is king. Bruce knew he had to make a good start to the season as the fixture list popped up three potential rivals in the first three games. If he doesn’t take points from those ‘easier’ games then when the real big boys come on the horizon, things can become a real slog – real quick.

It’s not just a case of not getting relegated. Any Premier League manager who even flirts with the possibility puts his job at huge risk these days. For that reason I understand what the manager felt he had to do in the Euro qualifiers. Even though it’s crushed our wildest dreams.